My farmer friend, Dessa, has the most amazing tomatoes his season and with the robust bunches of basil this Simple Summer Pasta with Tomato and Basil is perfect for easy weeknights. It’s kind of a no-recipe recipe in that the ingredients can be adaptable and forgiving to your palette and tastes.
I love recipes like that because they encourage us to cook intuitively, perhaps foraging the fridge and produce baskets to see what we have and what can become a delicious meal in 30 minutes or less. This one is a must-add to your summer pasta rotation.
What We Love About This Simple Summer Pasta Dish
Summertime pastas are the best for several reasons. First, they can be ready to enjoy in 20 minutes or less. Second, it’s a wonderful way to use up all the summer vegetables in season. Third, it’s low effort and high reward style makes this an easy dish for nights that are too warm to cook anything else.
Ingredients for the Summer Pasta
This Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil is unbelievably easy and uses a simple list of ingredients. Here’s what we need to make this delicious dinner:
- 1 pound dried pasta of choice
- 1/2 pound grape or cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1-2 cloves of garlic grated
- 1 small zucchini about 5 inches long, diced into small dices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups greens of choice (broccoli greens, chard)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
How to Make this Simple Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil
This pasta dinner is ready in minutes. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner when time is tight and dinner needs to be ready fast. Here’s how we make it:
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil to cook your pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, halve or quarter a half a pound of grape or cherry tomatoes. Mince a small shallot and grate a clove or two of garlic (depends on your love of garlic, I go with more here).
- Dice a small zucchini and give your greens of choice a rough chop. Spinach, chard, or baby kale are great here. In a sauté pan, heat a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and sauté your shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in your grated garlic and stir it until fragrant, about a minute or less.
- Add in your tomatoes and cook those down where the skins become softened and juices are released, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in your zucchini and greens and allow zucchini to soften and greens to wilt, about 5 minutes.
- Add in a ladle full of pasta water to create a sauce then toss in your pasta and stir together to combine. Add a generous handful of grated Parmesan or pecorino, stir to melt the cheese to finish your sauce and serve.
More Summer Pastas to Enjoy
There are plenty more seasonal summer pastas to enjoy during this season. Here are a few we love:
- Tomato Garlic Confit Pasta
- One Pot Orzo with Tomatoes, Corn and Zucchini
- Pasta with Fava Beans and Mint
Simple Summer Pasta with Tomato and Basil
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta of choice
- 1/2 pound grape or cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1-2 cloves of garlic grated
- 1 small zucchini about 5 inches long, diced into small dices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups greens of choice (broccoli greens, chard)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil to cook your pasta until al dente.
- Meanwhile, halve or quarter a half a pound of grape or cherry tomatoes. Mince a small shallot and grate a clove or two of garlic (depends on your love of garlic, I go with more here).
- Dice a small zucchini and give your greens of choice a rough chop. Spinach, chard, or baby kale are great here. In a sauté pan, heat a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and sauté your shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in your grated garlic and stir it until fragrant, about a minute or less.
- Add in your tomatoes and cook those down where the skins become softened and juices are released, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in your zucchini and greens and allow zucchini to soften and greens to wilt, about 5 minutes.
- Add in a ladle full of pasta water to create a sauce then toss in your pasta and stir together to combine. Add a generous handful of grated Parmesan or pecorino, stir to melt the cheese to finish your sauce and serve.